Death in Cambodia, Life in America

• Chef Nite - Chef & Restaurateur

  In this episode of Death in Cambodia, Life in America, I sit down with Chef Nite Yun, the visionary behind the beloved Oakland restaurant Nyum Bai, author of the new cookbook My Cambodia, and one of the stars of Netflix’s Chef’s Table: Noodles.Her episode introduced millions to the richness of Khmer cuisine, but behind the camera, Chef Nite’s story is one of identity, intergenerational trauma, and healing through food. Born to Cambodian refugee parents and raised in Stockton, California, Chef Nite grew up immersed in Khmer food and language, but it wasn’t until her 20s, during a trip to Cambodia, that she fully understood how deeply food was tied to memory, trauma, and healing.We talk about the surreal experience of filming Chef’s Table, the complexities of authenticity, and the joy and pressure of representing your people on a global platform. We also touch on the legacy of war and loss that shaped her family, how cooking became her way to reconnect with her roots, and why she felt both grief and relief when closing Nyum Bai at the height of its success. Plus, Nite opens up about her new restaurant Lunette and the upcoming release of her debut cookbook My Cambodia.From learning her mother’s recipes to finding her voice on Chef’s Table, Chef Nite shares what it means to reclaim Cambodian identity, one dish at a time. This episode is about food, family, and the stories we carry in every bite.Supporting Chef Nites Work: IG: @nite_nite_nitehttps://www.nyumbai.com/https://www.amazon.com/My-Cambodia-Cookbook-Nite-Yun/dp/1984863371

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• Li-Da Kruger - Cofounder of Reconnecting Cambodia

  In this episode of Death in Cambodia, Life in America, I speak with Li-Da Kruger, a Cambodian-born British filmmaker and adoptee, whose search for identity has shaped the course of her life. Adopted as a baby just before the Khmer Rouge came to power, Li-Da was raised in the UK with little connection to her roots. For decades, she carried the weight of survival, guilt, and longing for a culture that felt both hers and not hers.We talk about the emotional complexities of growing up as an adoptee, the guilt that comes with being spared, and the moment she finally felt permission to claim her Cambodian identity. Through her documentaries Belonging and Prue Leith: Journey with My Daughter, and her charity Reconnecting Cambodia, Li-Da has transformed her personal story into a mission to help others find their missing family and sense of self.This episode is for anyone asking where they come from, and what it means to belong.Supporting Li-Da’s Work:DONATE | Facebook |  LinknedInInsta | Youtube | [email protected]

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• James Taing - Author & Director

  This week on the Death in Cambodia, Life in America Podcast, I sit down with James Taing, founder of the Preah Vihear Foundation, author of Under the Naga Tail, and director of the short documentary Ghost Mountain. James shares the deeply personal story of his father, who survived the Khmer Rouge only to face a second, lesser-known atrocity: being forced back across the Thai-Cambodian border into a minefield enduring a trauma shared by more than 45,000 refugees seeking safety in 1979.We discuss Taings’s years of research, the emotional weight of telling this story, and how Ghost Mountain is helping shine a light on a history so few have heard. We also talk about the rising tensions between Cambodia and Thailand today, and how this conflict is not new, but rooted in generations of political trauma and displacement. Tiang’s dedication to preserving memory, honoring victims, and educating future generations is a powerful reminder of why these stories must be told.Supporting James Taing’s Work:https://www.amazon.com/Under-Naga-Tail-Survival-Cambodian/dp/B0BDY14NM9https://www.amazon.com/Destroy-You-No-Loss-Cambodian-ebook/dp/B089YYJP41/https://www.amazon.com/dp/0557554764https://mjqeducation.edu.kh/articles/dangrek-mountains----unforgettablehttps://www.amazon.com/Where-Landmine-Blooms-Aditi-Kahn/dp/B0DR2ZSJJL/https://www.pvfund.org/ghostmountainFacebook | Instagram | IMDB

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• Chef Nak - Celebrity Chef & Culinary Author

  Episode DescriptionIn the latest episode of the Death in Cambodia, Life in America Podcast, I had the honor of sitting down with Chef Ros Rotanak (better known as Chef Nak) Cambodia’s leading culinary ambassador and the author of the award-winning cookbook SAOI. From her earliest memories of cooking out of necessity to her rise as a global advocate for Khmer food, Chef Nak’s journey is one of resilience, purpose, and passion.In this interview, she opens up about the emotional weight of her achievements, the delicate balance between honoring tradition and modernizing presentation, and how cooking became a way to reclaim and share Cambodian identity after the Khmer Rouge. This episode is a reminder that food can be about more than just nourishment. It can open the door to unlocking cultural memories, resistance, and pride.Supporting Chef Nak’s Work:https://www.chefnak.com/SAOY - Royal Cambodian Home CuisineNHUM - Recipes from a Cambodian Home Kitchenwww.instagram.com/chefnak/

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• Amara Goel - Performer and Policy Analyst

  In this episode of Death in Cambodia, Life in America, I sit down with Amara Goel, a Cambodian American performing artist, and policy analyst whose journey spans refugee camps, international stages, and global policy work.Amara shares her experiences growing up as a 1.5 generation immigrant and how her identity has been shaped by a life lived across countries and cultures. We explore her deep connection to Cambodian history and how the lack of education around the Khmer Rouge in the U.S. fuels her passion for storytelling and advocacy.From her roles in Where Elephants Weep, Sun and Sea, and Winds of Angkor to her work with World Vision and the United Nations International Labour Organization, Amara seamlessly bridges the worlds of art and activism. She opens up about how creativity and policy work are intertwined in her mission to drive social change, particularly in eradicating child labor and addressing the global hunger crisis.Amara also shares her future aspirations, including developing her voice as a poet and deepening her impact across both the arts and humanitarian fields.This episode is a powerful reminder that healing, identity, and activism can take many forms and that storytelling is at the heart of lasting change.Support Amara Goels Work:Unprecedented hunger, mental health tragedy, and gender-based violence: The crisis for children and families in Sudan - Sudan | ReliefWebFood prices continue to rise in the world’s poorest countries - World | ReliefWeb Collaboration and Commemoration: Acknowledging the Khmer Rouge Genocide Through Art** In this episode, Amara Goel refers to earning a master’s degree and joining Sun & Sea in 2003. She has since clarified that she earned a bachelor’s degree in classical voice and joined the cast in 2023.**

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